First burn

A start

"So I heard you and Mai had a chat," Azula walked over to her brother with ty Lee behind her with a smile.

"I forget how cold she can be sometimes," Azula grinned crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall as Zuko sighed heavily giving her a side eye.

"How may i help you?" He rolled his eyes and turned to her.

"Since when did you become a book nerd?" Ty Lee looked over his shoulder seeing some new books from the palace library.

"I found some books on water tribe legends and history for Katara, she keeps taking my books," Zuko explained gently and ty Lee cooed.

"Aww it's almost like your a couple that's so cute!" Ty Lee poked his nose and he got her off him annoyed.

"So that's why Mai is extra grumpy, wow," Azula snorted taking a book to look at it.

"You were always a hopeless romantic, is this about the war before avatar kuruk? Cliche Zuzu, try being unique," she scoffed dropping the book at his feet.

"Even with Mai you were all about picnics and being needy, I thought she'd dump you sooner before you got engaged, she seemed bored," she smiled standing on top of the book but Zuko didn't move.

"Aw stop it Azula, I thought their little dates were cute, maybe if he's widowed I'll get a chance," ty Lee winked over her shoulder as she went back by Azula.

"He does seem to like less sophisticated girls, so your his type, but you can do better ty Lee," Azula hummed amused.

Suddenly Katara walked in and paused seeing the two girls, ty Lee waved but Zuko shook his head at her.

"So did you end up going to the library?" Katara ignored them and walked over to Zuko.

"Yea I found some old water tribe ones, and a water bending scroll if your interested," Zuko turned to her as Azula made a face when she was ignored.

"Really? Surprising but that's awesome, better than my ten books from home, most of them were elders journals, my gran grans grandfathers journal was my favorite," Katara smiled gently and took the book in zukos arm to check it out.

"Tu and la, like the ocean and moon spirit? My grandmother told me about them as a little girl, probably cause she lived in the northern water tribe," Katara flipped the book open curiously.

"Yea but it also tells you about the other original benders like badger moles, dragons and sky bisons, also something about lion turtles too," he showed her.

Ty Lee nudged Azula confused as the two completely ignored them, Azula huffed aggressively with a little fire from her nose.

"Oh no there's two nerds," ty Lee giggled.

"It's pathetic really," Azula glared and Zuko knelt down to pick up the book his sister stole.

"It's just some things I thought you might be interested," he turned back to her.

Mai walked in to find her friends but paused as her and Zuko made eye contact. Katara glanced over seeing his ex but didn't react.

"Thank you," she took the books from him.

"Would you like to join me in the garden Katara?" Zuko gulped a little and offered his arm to her as he was getting stressed out by being surrounded.

Katara felt Mai staring at her like she would set her on fire if she could, maybe both of them, she could tell Zuko was tense.

"I'd love too Zuko, lead the way," Katara smiled and gently wrapped her arm around his as they left the room looking calm.

"She's kind of heavy on the hips, and short," ty Lee offered seeing the jealously in mai's eyes.

"Her hairs a mess too, probably doesn't know how to bathe," Azula smirked at her friends.

"She came from savages of ice, what do you expect?" Mai scoffed knowing the couple was in ear distance.

Katara smirked to herself as she tightened her hold on Zuko and he tensed more at that, she let him go and walked backwards in front of him.

"I don't think they like me," Katara grinned.

"Ignore them anyways, they'll push buttons to get under your skin," Zuko grabbed the books from her so she didn't have to carry them.

"You think mai's jealous?" Katara quirked a brow with a evil look on her face.

"Oh absolutely, and I know we pushed a lot more buttons than they show," Zuko smirked back at her and Katara laughed at that as they went to the garden together.

They didn't have to be lovers, they don't have to be best of friends. But they both knew they were all they had if they needed someone to have each other's backs, they could at least be friends. At least that's how Zuko felt.

He couldn't tell if Katara felt the same...

But her smile and being civil with him, her kindness, how she was so smart and could read body language so well, it was all he needed to know it was a chance to be friends. It was a start for him.

It's all he needed to potentially trust someone in this hell he called home.